While speaking on a Channels Television programme, 'Sunrise Daily',
yesterday, Brig. Gen. Paul Boroh (rtd), the Senior Adviser to the
President on Niger Delta Matters and Coordinator of the Amnesty
Programme, has revealed why the present government is not contemplating on adding more Niger Delta militants
into the amnesty programme.
The presidential adviser who disclosed that his mandate was to
reintegrate only 30,000 ex-agitators already captured, said: “Amnesty
programme worldwide has a limit because it is a master piece strategy to
resolve militancy. When that of Nigeria was established in 2009, it was
supposed to exist for a particular time.
“I do not intend to bring in more into the programme because that is not
my mandate. My mandate is to reintegrate 30,000 ex-agitators into the
programme that are already in the programme.
“But this number is bloated because communities affected during the
conflicts, government is also taking care of them. Some of them are
undergoing skills acquisition and training.
“I do not think that the Federal Government is going to have another
amnesty programme, it is very expensive and presently, our economy is
not in the right status. So, it should not be a permanent programme.
“It is better to gain an employment than wait for amnesty programme. Let
us think of how to create jobs and develop the country. It is better to
work than think of a programme that will give you a stipend every
month,” Boroh said.
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